"High Tech Computer (HTC) has grown up with Microsoft, from the old HTC-built iPAQ's running on Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system, to the Orange SPV - Microsoft's first Windows smartphone. The Taiwanese company has always been a loyal aid to the software giant, but lately that close relationship has started to feel a little dated. HTC's investment in Android and its Sense user interface has taken precedent over its initial work with Windows Mobile, and the company's Windows Phone flagships have been impressive, but overshadowed by Nokia's colorful Lumia range and partnership with Microsoft. That all appears to be changing though." HTC announced some good-looking Windows Phone 8 phones (ugh) today, but from my personal experience of owning several devices from both brands for over a decade, Nokia has the edge on quality. Good to see a serious commitment to WP8 though - we wouldn't want the Android dominance to continue.

You suggest a browser as a good alternative to something I should be able to see from my file manager of choice? God knows I want to be tethered to the net just to get at something usually sitting in my pocket. Right...

Cloud services are not an acceptable solution for me, or for many others. If you can't see why a cloud-only solution is a hindrance, I guess that's where our conversation has to end, at least on that topic. Different strokes for different folks, and all that.

And for the record, I'm not granting Google some magical title of "completely open". I'm just picking the lesser of two evils because they still allow some semblance of user control over their own freaking devices.

Personally, I don't find ANY current smartphone OS acceptable in regards to openness.

Of course I usually have an internet connection, and it's reasonable to assume that most people with a smartphone do as well.

However, availability of a connection is definitely *not* what is keeping me from relying on cloud services.

You're right, Android is not the poster child for openness, and there absolutely are varying degrees of openness. That being said, in what ways exactly is WP open or even kind of in the ballpark of open?

edit: I should probably add that I really don't intend to debate this too much, at least not here. It's not exactly on-topic. Was really just responding to Thom's brief visit to "WP vs. Android"-land. I really don't have much to say about HTC WP8 devices. I'm sure they'll be just fine and dandy for anybody interested in what WP8 offers.

Cloud services are not open in any way, except 'open for business'. They're all about lock-in. They take your data, so that you must use their services. This is of course Google's business model as well, and Amazon's, and Apple's. Stop pretending that Microsoft is somehow better for doing exactly like everyone else (but with no alternative).